rucas | au's + one shots

behind the mask [maerakis]

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The sullen minute I had stepped out of the dressing room with an uneasy smile, Mademoiselle Hart rushed up to give me a smothering hug - the scent of her rose scented perfume creating imprints on the vintage gown. Once she pulled away, an antiquated rose lipstick stain was plastered on the edge of my cheek. Normally I would've laughed at the etiquette's of the blonde beauty, but there was nothing like having a complete meltdown over mission impossible.

"Merci Beaucoup Mon Ami! I thank you deeply for covering this special night for me. As it being extremely special, knowing that you have agreed to this for me instead," she exclaimed, fiddling her french tips nervously. Mardi Gras. 1898. New Orleans. A french ball of elegance in the heart of this french speaking town, even if I wasn't french myself. But my new friend Maya Hart was. And now I had agreed to disguise myself in the styles of the french darling, playing in the role of her - on an extremely special night indeed. And it begs to differ how I fall for her mischievous plans.

My friend Maya had a date with her secret lover - someone that she had deeply admired for a long time - cleverly snatching a date with this enigmatic gentlemen. The name of Joshua, I believed. Ignoring the Mardi Gras and leaving it in the hands of me. And how exactly do I find the strength of posing as a confident rebel?

--

I nearly tripped over the satin fabric as soon as I glanced towards the ginormous ballroom in front of me. It was an extremely beautiful sight, for someone who had never been to a Mardi Gras ball. Delicate music echoed throughout the golden painted walls and elegant couple danced throughout the crimson carpets. A fantasy in reality.

I pivoted around the rose painted heels, noticing the flawless and intricate details of this labyrinth. The ethics and stance of the french families were indeed a perfection compared to royalty. And without the style of Maya Hart herself, would I have been an outcast of beauty. Luckily I'm wearing a designated mask to cover up my features.

--

Oh what a night it was! The party was indeed perfect. There were certain times a beautiful jazz hymn would ring throughout the air, with a mix of deteriorated classic. The friends and family of Maya Hart were not only beautiful on the outside, but internally friendly. Occasionally I would dance and pop a few mouth watering crêpes in my mouth. Until it was time for the final dance.

I wasn't a young girl to expect that anything could happen at a certain moment. How lives could change and you could've finally grown up, with different expectations. Where you would be pulled out of a minuscule shell and into a world full of love and heartbreaks. How you would live in tantalizing glory.

I would've begun to get carried away with the infrastructure of the glamorous room, if not - the young man had saved me from an overreactive imagination. I felt a hand on my shoulder and instantly whirled around to overlook a handsome gentlemen. His light brown hair was tousled up and his smirk matched with his glimmering green orbs, making him completely irresistible. I was caught off guard, once he curled out his hand and gestured me towards the dance floor. "Care to have a waltz with me, um - Mademoiselle -"

I nodded my head reflexively and was about to say my respective name, when I had realized - I am now Maya Hart. "Uh, Hart! My last name is Hart!" I had replied with a flit of my tongue, curling my America accent, into a more elegant french one. It had turned out horribly and the guy had burst out laughing, shaking his head in a ridiculed trance. I blushed, embarrassed by the horrific accent created and reached out to grab his hand aggressively. Ritual # 578 that I couldn't do perfectly.